Finalists for Non-Profit Search

With over 500 suggestions for Non-Profit’s in need of help, it was simply impossible to select one. Instead, SWPL has chosen eleven possible non-profits to receive all proceeds from the Stuff White People Like T-Shirt from FatAmerican.tv.

The hope is that more people will be willing to check out all eleven and hopefully make much needed donations.

Remember if you donate before Dec. 31, 2008, you can claim it on your taxes as a charitable donation.

The Eleven Finalists are:

1. Kiva.org – Kiva’s mission is to connect people through lending for the sake of alleviating poverty. Kiva is the world’s first person-to-person micro-lending website, empowering individuals to lend directly to unique entrepreneurs in the developing world.

2. Harm Reduction of Grand Rapids, Michigan (Needle Exchange) – “We work really hard to get clean syringes into the hands of injection drug users (IDUs) as well as providing people with safe sex supplies at no cost. We do this to help stop the spread of HIV/AIDS as well as Hep C. Both diseases are on the rise and government efforts to stop them are not sufficient. It has been proven by many studies that syringe exchange does help stop the spread of both diseases and it does not encourage drug use.

However, programs like these are very controversial, especially in places like Grand Rapids that are very religious and conservative. Needle exchange is not legal in the state of Michigan, we only have a special waiver for Grand Rapids. Because of this we are the only exchange on the entire West side of Michigan, I believe we are also the most northern exchange in Michigan.”

-Kelly Knutson, Volunteer

3.826 National– 826 National is a nonprofit tutoring, writing, and publishing organization with locations in seven cities across the country. Our goal is to assist students ages six to eighteen with their writing skills, and to help teachers get their classes excited about writing. Our work is based on the understanding that great leaps in learning can happen with one-on-one attention, and that strong writing skills are fundamental to future success.

4. Heifer.org – Heifer International is dedicated dedicated to relieving global hunger and poverty. It provides gifts of livestock and plants, as well as education in sustainable agriculture, to financially-disadvantaged families around the world.

5. Invisible Children – Invisible Children’s goal is to create awareness regarding the plight of the people of northern Uganda, caught in the midst of a civil war between the government and Joseph Kony’s Lord’s Resistance Army, a rebel group that makes extensive use of kidnapping children and making child soldiers.

In war-affected regions Invisible Children focuses on long-term development, working directly with individuals and institutions that are eager to realize their full potential. Through education and innovative economic opportunities, they partner with affected communities and strive to improve the quality of life for individuals living in conflict and post-conflict regions.

6. Children of the Night – Children of the Night is a private, non-profit, tax-exempt organization founded in 1979. We are dedicated to assisting children between the ages of 11 and 17 who are forced to prostitute on the streets for food to eat and a place to sleep. Since 1979 we have rescued girls and boys from prostitution and the domination of vicious pimps. And we provide all programs with the support of private donations.

7.International Justice Mission – International Justice Mission is a human rights agency that secures justice for victims of slavery, sexual exploitation and other forms of violent oppression. IJM lawyers, investigators and aftercare professionals work with local officials to ensure immediate victim rescue and aftercare, to prosecute perpetrators and to promote functioning public justice systems.

8. Southern Poverty Law Center – SPLC is internationally known for its tolerance education programs, its legal victories against white supremacists and its tracking of hate groups. Located in Montgomery, Alabama – the birthplace of the Civil Rights Movement – the Southern Poverty Law Center was founded by Morris Dees and Joe Levin, two local lawyers who shared a commitment to racial equality. Its first president was civil rights activist Julian Bond.

Note: if you make a donation before Dec. 31, it will be matched by a group of private donors.

9. Greenville, SC Free Clinic – We offer services in the following areas: dental clinic, dental hygiene, ophthalmology clinic (general, plus a large variety of specialty clinics), medical clinic, health education classes, HIV testing, and a full-service pharmacy. All services rendered at the clinics are free to all patients who qualify based on our eligibility requirements. Total patient visits for 2008 will likely surpass 10,000. (general, plus glaucoma and retina clinics), medical

We first opened our doors in 1987 and have been operating off of private donations only (no government assistance) since then. With the recent downturn of the economy, we have seen a decrease in donations and increase in patient visits — a combination that is not very sustainable. Patient visits have increased 30% in the last five months alone, and we expect this trend to continue. Our holiday fundraiser has also taken a noticeable hit this year compared to what we received this time last year.

I’d give you a link to our website, but we don’t have one. With an extremely small paid staff of about fifteen operating all four of the clinics (we could not function without the help of our hundreds of volunteers), we do not have the financial resources or time to create a website.

10.The Community Cycling Center (Portland, OR) – Founded in 1994, The Community Cycling Center helps broaden access to bicycling and its benefits through our hands-on programs, volunteer projects, and neighborhood bike shop.

11. Arizona League to End Regional Trafficking (ALERT) – ALERT, a program of International Rescue Committee – Phoenix, is a league representing law enforcement, faith based communities, non-profit organizations, social service agencies, attorneys, and concerned citizens. Through education, outreach and a variety of programs and services ALERT strives to end the suffering and dehumanization of victims of human trafficking.